U.S. Rep. Pat Meehan, R-7, returns to Congress

SPRINGFIELD — Freshman incumbent U.S. Rep. Pat Meehan, R-7, of Upper Darby, will be returning to Congress for another two years after defeating Democratic challenger George Badey Tuesday night, according to unofficial election results.

“I want to thank you for the opportunity to continue to go to Washington and continue to take on the big challenges that we face,” Meehan said to a crowd at the Springfield Country Club Tuesday night.

Before his speech, Meehan said he received a concession phone call from Badey and “I want to thank him for his kind words.”

Meehan said the country needs to continue to provide Medicare for senior citizens while also preserving it for future generations. He said there also needs to be a focus on helping small businesses. He said he was happy to work across the aisle in Washington, D.C., on some issues and will continue to do so.

Meehan, 57, a former Delaware County district attorney and U.S. attorney, said he ran for re-election because he wanted to finish the work he had begun since he took office in January 2010.

Badey, 54, an attorney and chairman of the Radnor Democratic Committee, said he ran for Congress because he wanted to see change.

“I called Congressman Meehan and congratulated him on a spirited campaign where we vigorously debated the issues and left personal attacks on the sidelines,” Badey said when reached for comment on election night. “I am very proud of the way my team conducted itself throughout the campaign.”

The 7th District, which used to include the majority of Delaware County and portions of Chester and Montgomery counties, now includes those three counties plus portions of Berks and Lancaster counties.

Early ballot results for Delaware County showed Meehan had 108,101 votes and Badey had 76,920 votes.

Early ballot results for Berks County showed Meehan had 16,739 votes and Badey had 9,202 votes.

Early ballot results for Chester County showed Meehan had 17,211 votes and Badey had 9,603 votes.

Early ballot results for Lancaster County showed Meehan had 33,464 votes and Badey had 29,252 votes.

Early ballot results for Montgomery County showed Meehan had 40,683 votes and Badey had 31,198 votes.

In the 1st Congressional District race, longtime incumbent U.S. Rep. Bob Brady, D-1, of Philadelphia, defeated Republican challenger John Featherman, a Realtor from Philadelphia, according to unofficial election results.

Brady, 67, of West Philadelphia, could not be reached for comment late Tuesday night. Brady is chairman of the Philadelphia Democratic Party and has been congressman since 1998.

Featherman, 48, of the Chinatown section of Philadelphia, said he ran for Congress because he wants to improve the district, which he said has been ranked one of the poorest in the country.

Featherman said that although he lost the race, he picked up 20-24 percent of the votes in the Delaware County portion of his district “which was amazing.” Featherman said he was thrilled by the percentage of the vote he received from the Delaware County voters.

“This is just the beginning,” he said. “This is not the end.”

The 1st Congressional district includes a section of Philadelphia and a portion of Delaware County, including the city of Chester.

Early ballot results for Delaware County showed Featherman had 12,857 votes and Brady had 57,732 votes. Early ballot results for Philadelphia County showed Featherman had 26,271 votes and Brady had 164,676 votes.

All election results are unofficial until certified by the Boards of Election in each county.